ing freely at the lower nodes,
especially when procumbent.

The _leaf-sheaths_ are loose, inflated, hairy or rarely glabrous. The
_ligule_ is a thin membrane, or a ridge of fine closely set hairs.
_Nodes_ are villous.

The _leaf-blade_ is linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate acuminate,
flaccid, softly villous on both the surfaces, margins often crisped,
base rounded, 2 to 6 inches by 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

The _inflorescence_ consists of a long or short, slender, shining
peduncle bearing two or three rigid, flattened, flexuous, jointed
spikes, the rachis is broad, herbaceous, with a flat, broad, closely
nerved wing on both the sides and with a distinct flat midrib and
jointed, each joint bears on the under surface at the articulation, a
solitary, globose cluster of two to three perfect 1-flowered glabrous
spikelets surrounded by many short spinescent glumes of imperfect ones.
The spikes vary in length from 1 to 2 inches and in breadth from 1/10 to
1/6 inch and are glabrous.

The clusters of _spikelets_ are about 1/4 inch in diameter, often
partially sunk, in a concavity of the rachis; the perfect spikelets are
1/5 to 1/4 inch long and the imperfect are shorter.

[Illustration: Fig. 121.--Trachys mucronata.

A and B. The spikelets; 1, 2 and 3. the first, second and the third
glume, respectively; 4. palea of the third glume; 5 and 6. the fourth
glume and its palea; 7. lodicules, ovary and stamens.]

In the perfect spikelet there are four very unequal glumes. The _first
glume_ is minute, tooth-like, triangular or lanceolate, acute,
nerveless, 1/16 to 1/12 inch long. The _second glume_ is elongate,
linear-lanceolate, acute, sometimes ciliate below the middle,
membranous, narrower than the third glume, hyaline, strongly 3-nerved,
1/16 by 1/6 inch. The _third glume_ is 1/5 by 1/8 inch the largest in
the spikelet, broadly and obliquely ovate or obovate, cuspidately acute,
with nine to many green nerves, paleate; the _palea_ is very small,
about 1/20 inch long, oblong, hyaline and rigidly coriaceous. The
_fourth glume_ is much narrower and shorter than the third glume, linear
oblong, acuminate, chartaceous, smooth, dorsally convex, with incurved
margins, bisexual and paleate; the palea is as long as the glume,
acuminate, hyaline, the margins inflexed below the middle, ovate, acute.
_Lodicules_ are minute or absent. _Stamens_ are three with linear
anthers. _Styles_ are very long with slender stigmas. The grain is
oblong, co